Spike & Elliott's Excellent Adventure
by SusieBogle
Summary: Beth and Mick's son, Elliott is grown up and living in Aspen, Colorado when he's asks Josef's son, Spike, to help out in a missing person investigation. Lots of Aspen history and includes references to present day sheriff and also Hunter S. Thompson


Disclaimer: I don't own these characters from Moonlight – just love to write about them.

Spoiler: After Sonata and envisions that Mick and Beth, along with Josef and Simone were able to have children. These are their children's stories interwoven into what we know from all the episodes about their parents. Also for background read my previous stories: A Faint and a Heartbeat, The Foundation and Collie's Just Like a Woman. This actually takes place between The Foundation and Collie'sJLAW.

**SPIKE and Elliott's EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

"Spike? It's Uncle Mick. How are you, buddy? Yeah, Collie says hi from Patagonia. Good. I heard from your dad that you're on your way to Aspen? Almost there? Listen, Elliott just called saying a friend of his, Pete Murphy, was hiking this afternoon and is missing somewhere near the Smuggler Mine. They've got the High Country Search team out but haven't been able to locate him yet and they've had to call off the search due to darkness. Well, that's what I was thinking, too. Elliott could use a guy with good investigation skills plus a good nose, if you know what I mean. I know I've taught you well. Are you ready to join the hunt? Good man. Elliott will pick you up at Sardy Field at nine. He says he will bring along one of Pete's shirts and can take you around the town to see what kind of scent you pick up. I'm counting on you, buddy. Your first case with Mick St. John Private Investigations."

"Another glass of blood before we land, Master Kostan?"

15 year old Charles "Spike" Kostan smiles but says, "Now, Alfred, how many times do I have to tell you? No more "master". You're not my servant anymore and if you keep this up, I'll never hear the end of it from my friends. Bad enough that Mom thinks I need to have a chaperone, much less one that insists on formality. So what do you think, Alfred? Lose the master and just call me Charles. Can you do that at least while we're here in Aspen?"

"Yes, Mas – Charles, sir."

"Close enough, Fred. Plus put on some jeans and a flannel shirt, will you? I need you to blend in here. You can take the jeep to the house. I'm being picked up by Elliott St. John and won't be needing you for the rest of the night."

"Very good, sir"

Spike's best friend, 21 year old dark haired and handsome Elliott St. John, is grinning on the tarmac.

"Elliott. You know "Fred", don't you? Yeah, yeah, he's fine and good and we're on our way."

"What are you laughing at, you hyena?"

"You look and sound more like your dad everyday, Kostan!

"Yes, well, geez – what did I say now – no need to split a gut. And you're no one to talk about looking like your dad. Man, you two could be twins -- only one's like a hundred years, not minutes, older.

Alright, when do we start?"

"I've got Pete's shirt here. All I can smell is his grunge but I know you've inherited "the vampire nose" as dad calls it so I'll drive and you do your thing. We're going to swing by the Jerome where Pete was staying. Do you think you'll get anything from being in his room? Yeah, okay, we'll try it."

"Ell, this guy's pretty cool. He's a musician, had some pretty tough times as a young kid but now he's starting to get some recognition and man, is he – and you! -- scoring with the ladies."

"Amazing. All with one sniff? And, yes, I know you can smell that on me, too. We've been having a pretty good time here. But anything pertinent to where he went?"

"Not unless he's holed up with some hot hiker he just met."

"No, that was yesterday. With Nina. I think that's what she said her name was, er, or maybe it was Heather."

"Anyone you care to introduce me to? I could use a freshie."

"Why, young Master Spike! Now not being a vampire myself -- just one that happens to have one as a dad and a sister – I don't hear that line used much around here. But if ever there was a place for finding a willing one, it's gotta be in Ute City. So do you get those flashes of the past and can you see the future like dad? That is one cool skillset I'd love to have."

"Yeah, well, at first I didn't know what the hell was happening. Suddenly my fangs are coming in and then all these smells. It's like surround sound to you. I get this flooding of sensory information and it's usually not very pretty stuff. Of course, now that I'm older, that's not necessarily a bad thing, if you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess I do. But you know I'm not into that kinky vamp stuff!"

"No, my friend, you're just pure as the driven snow and so innocent."

"Alright, alright. Lay off. And I get my share, believe me. So we're here. I've arranged with the concierge for you to go up alone to Pete's room. Just get the keycard – yeah, I know you could get in and out without being seen – just do it my way, okay, Kostan?"

"Spike, you look like you've seen a ghost? Hey, didn't I tell you the Hotel is like 150 years old. Of course, there's ghosts."

"A ghost is not what I smelled – well, that's not true and I'm seeing right now a couple of 'em sitting outside the bar, one guy says his name is Freddy the fixer – but I smelled vamp in Pete's room. Newly turned is my guess since there was little decay -- and, Elliott, I think your friend might just be in a lot of trouble."

Chapter Two

"You've got to be kidding, Spike. I just saw Pete this afternoon. He was fine and believe me, after being around vamps all my life, I'd know if he was one."

I'm just saying that a newbie was in his room. Is it possible that he was tracked when he went off to hike? I guess we'd better follow the scent some more."

"Do you think we ought to get the law involved? I could swing over and tell former Sheriff Braudis. He's probably on jail duty again tonight. Of course, not about the vamp connection, although I doubt that he would blink an eye about it. He knew Hunter S. Thompson, after all."

"Who's that?"

"Spike, you really need to get educated. So anyway, stop on in and say hi to Big Bob?"

"Nah, we don't really know what's happening yet. I'm catching some really interesting smells by the courthouse. Did Aspen really have a serial killer escape by jumping out the window? What was his name, Bundy?"

"Christ, you can smell something that took place over 50 years ago? Spike, you amaze me. But not germaine."

"Big word, that. And I do, too, know "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Gonzo journalism, right? What – I have tutors!"

"Never doubted that. So where to now?"

I'm catching a very faint scent of Pete but it's not heading toward Smuggler, it's going up Ajax Mountain. Did you actually see him there or did he say that's where he was going?"

"Didn't see, Told me. So why would he head up the ski hill? Wait, we were up at the Little Nell last night with those ladies and talked about the cool closed up silver mines on the mountain. Yeah, one of 'em definitely was a Nina and the other one was a Heather, but I just can't remember what she looked like."

"There's definitely recent vamp smell here but not going all the way up the mountain – just to Glory Hole Park. You know there's a whole slew of underwater mines snaking off the mountain."

"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting Aspen's history of silver mining. I heard they once had a silver nugget so big it had to be cut in half to fit on the back of a wagon! But you're not gonna find any vamps getting near silver!"

"This just keeps getting weirder. Now there are several vamp smells along with Pete's. He's not giving off any fear pheromones so I'm guessing they've not shown him anything to fear yet. They headed northeast past Slaughterhouse Bridge towards Starwood."

"Let me guess. Heading up towards Jill St. John's 70's party house?"

"Hello? Collie! How are you flat face? What's that? You just got a call from who? Oh, great, this just gets better and better. Yeah, keep me posted."

"Ell, so what's the drama queen up to?"

"Seems her Aspen friend, Nina Taylor, just called, crying that she's been kidnapped."

Chapter Three

"Alfred, it's Charles. Yes, I said I wasn't going to need you but something's come up. I've just talked to Elliott's mom, yeah, that's right, Beth. She's enroute to Aspen along with Uncle Mick and Collie. They'll be here at seven a.m. as soon as the airport opens. Can you pick them up? Excellent. No, I've run into some unexpected problems and probably won't be home tonight but I'll try to get some freezer time tomorrow. Oh, and Alfred? What kind of weapons do we have at the house? I was afraid of that. Thanks."

"No go on the weapons. We never need 'em but for you mere mortals …"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, we're so weak. Dad taught me well and I can always make a stake out of just about anything.

So what do we know at this point? Collie says Nina and Pete are with some people who said they were going to show them the "inner city" of Aspen. Evidently, Heather, the one I had hooked up with, met a vamp and they all became friendly. Nina says this one, Marco, was really "cool" and took Heather off somewhere. When Heather came back, Nina was stunned by the change in her. My guess is that Heather was the newbie you smelled in Pete's room. But why was she there?"

"Dad says newbies are really confused, especially if their sire isn't there to take care of them, teach them how to be vamps. Maybe this guy, Marco, deserted her or was taken out of the picture somehow?"

"That could explain why I smelled other vamps. Marco overstepped by turning Heather and got zapped. What else did Nina say?"

"She doesn't know where they are now. I'm thinking they were drugged. Maybe on a ranch because she hears horses neighing."

Oh, and ll, how well did you get to know Heather? That's what I was afraid of."

Chapter Four

"Collie says Heather was "more than friends" with Dakota Johnson's son. You know, daughter of Melanie Griffith and the original Miami Vice guy, Don Johnson. Cool old tv show. Never liked the movie though."

"So what's the connection? She seemed pretty available the other night. Are you telling me some vamp took Pete and Nina to get back at me? So that's why Nina was allowed to make calls on her cell to Collie. Maybe my whole family's in danger. If that's the case, we've got to find them now. No time to wait for backup."

"Ell, wait just a minute. It's a trap. You know it and going there with just the two of us will just get us killed."

"Got any better suggestions?"

"Actually, I do."

Chapter Five

"Alright, Alright. Everyone just settle down. Collie, hold those horses. Beth, can you handle that? Why -- I don't even want to know why she's in charge of them. Just get them out of here. And come right back, young lady. Yes, of course, you too, Beth.

Okay, first off. Let's thank the former Sheriff for his ah, "discretion" in this matter and that there will be no prosecution -- especially of my daughter – for stampeding horses through a private residence. Bob, we owe you a debt of gratitude for coming to the ranch and saving those two kids, Pete and Nina. You'll have our signed statements tomorrow but for what's left of the night, go get some rest. You deserve it - you've put in 50 years of Aspen law enforcement. That in itself should entitle you to a little R & R so be sure and take us up on that offer to go to Kostan Island.

Now, Spike, Elliott and ... Alfred? Who wants to fill me in on why I had to come to Aspen and save your sorry asses? Okay, Elliott… good, Beth, you're back. Where is she? Collie, get out here now. I know you can hear me, don't make me … yes, I promise to listen to your side. After your brother."

"Dad, Spike and I had everything under control…"

"From the beginning, Elliott, please?"

"Mom." I guess I'm the cause of all this because Pete and I got caught up in the Aspen nightlife. We hooked up with Nina and this girl, Heather, at the Caribou Club and then went to the Little Nell. My

senses may be off but I didn't detect any vamp smell on her! Pete talked about going hiking with them up Smuggler but I was attending that Aspen Physics lecture so couldn't go. Turns out she must have met up with this "Marco" right after we left the girls and he turned Heather. But someone was pretty pissed off about it, and I guess, about me, too."

"Uncle Mick, I smelled a newly turned vamp in Pete's room and actually followed that and Pete's scent to Little Woody Creek, the old Don Johnson ranch. We got online and found that it had been sold to some Russians when they were buying up Aspen with their billions twenty years ago but that some of the Johnson family were still living there along with a Vladimir Lubchenko."

"So, are we talking jealousy as a motive to kidnapping? Why?"

"We couldn't come up with any other reason, other than they were Elliott's friends and that maybe they had seen too much. But either way, we knew they were in danger so we came up with a plan."

"So that's where you come in, Alfred?"

"I'm afraid so, Mr. St. John. Mas … young Charles here asked me to leave you the keys to the HydroPrius and a note of where they were, and then to bring myself in the jeep, dressed in western wear, a Stetson and cowboy boots."

"Dad, I've never laughed so hard in my life as listening to Spike telling Alfred how to talk "redneck rancher". And Alfred, you did great, by the way."

Sniff, "Thank you, Mr. Elliott, you at least are a gentleman. I did have fun, I must admit. You see, Mr. St. John, we had come up with a ruse to gain admittance to the house. We pretended that I was a neighbor who had spotted some of their horses out of the fence and was returning them."

"So, Uncle Mick, Elliott and I moved along with the horses – which wasn't easy since they were kinda nervous around me, but Ell was like a horse whisperer and kept them calm enough."

"So what went wrong? Let me guess, our pal, Vlad being a vamp can smell another vamp – especially a hybrid -- even among a half dozen broncos?"

"Uh, no, Mr. St. John. I'm afraid I just wasn't convincing enough. It must have been when I called him "pahdner" and, I'm very much afraid, he was going to harm me! That's when …"

"Can I speak now, Dad?"

"Collie, how did you beat Dad and me to Aspen? We held the plane!"

"I, uh, was able to hitch a ride with John Travolta's son, Jett, who has this most phenomenal new whisperjet. All fusion. It tore out of Patagonia but I couldn't get a signal to call out. Sorry, I did ask them to relay a message to you but I guess that didn't happen."

"We were just worried, that's all. Go on."

"I got here and saw the note. I figured that the guys might be able to use an extra fang so I headed over just in time to find this big Russian about to tear into Alfred! So I did the only thing I could think of."

"You stampeded the horses, of course. Good diversion but what if Alfred or Elliott had been trampled? And why didn't you stop them before they went rampaging through the house?"

"But, Dad, it worked, didn't it? And that's when you showed up and it was just so amazing to see the three of us along with Elliott take 'em down. Elliott especially with that stake! Although I'm sorry you had to do that to Heather. She sounded nice, uh, before, you know… And Spike, totally awesome sense of smell. Definitely cool. You're going to have to give me pointers."

"And it was my plan, too, although there were a few minor "glitches"."

"Now, Master Spike …"

"Enough. Elliott, you and Spike messed up. You should have waited for backup and your plan, Spike, had way too many holes in it but for a first timer on a case, not bad detective work."

"Dad, can I start being an investigator, too? Mom, wouldn't that be fun to get back into crime solving again? It could be like Collie St. John and Associates, P.I. Why, for crying out loud, not?"


End file.
